PORT OF PATEA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 8 February 1927, Page 3

PORT OF PATEA.

WORK OF ADMINISTRATION HARBOUR BOARD MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Patea Harbour Board was held yesterday. There were present: Messrs A. T. Christensen (chairman), A. Pearce, A. H. Hodge and A. X. Williams. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs E. A. Paeev and J. R. Corrigan. Statements tabled dealing with the activities of the port- during the two mnoths ended December 31, 1926, showed the total export tonnage as 4299 to the value of approximately £445,320, while imports for the' same period amounted to 929 J tons of general merchandise. The chairman was appointed as the representative of the board to exercise the vote allowed the board at local elections-. The chairman reported that he had received a verbal request from Mr T. Scott asking that a shed situated near the heads be handed over to a local society, which would -supply labour to have it converted into ladies’ and men’s dressing sheds. — {)n the chairman’s motion the requfest was acceded to. RECORD MONTH APPROACHED. The harbourmaster (Captain IV. Tinney) reported the channel over the bar to be straight, with aboutyl3ffc Bin of water on the bar and 12ft 6in bar and 9ft between the walls water spring tides and 10ft on the bar and nine feet between the walls at high water neap tides. On January 3U soundings showed 10ft on the bar and Oft between the walls, with 6ft Gin on the tide gauge. During January the arrivals numbered 35 and the departures 36; 16 went out on the lights. During December there were 16 arrivals and 17 departures, and eight went out on the lights. The river had been sounded on January 26. A little more' dredging on the flats whore the dredge was- working was required. The walls were keeping in good condition, and everything at the- station was in good working order.

In moving the adoption of the report, the chairman pointed out that the figures of the arrivals and departures during the January period—a total of 71—were among the highest in the history of the port, and- the harbourmaster explained that the total was only two below the record for any similar period. The report was adopted. DREDGING OPERATIONS.

The dredgemaster (Mr A. Mercer) rejjorted that since the last meeting the dredge had removed 6230 cubicfeet of s-iit, principally from along the wharves and the point opposite the slaughterhouse, both places having shoaled. AVater-logged timber had also required a good deaf of attention. Tbe dredgemaster had assisted the pilot in sounding the bar on December 23, when, with 4ft 7in on the tide gauge, Bft was the poorest sounding. Oil January 30, with the tide gauge indicating 6ft Gin, the poorest sounding on the bar was 9ft Sin. The dredge had been closed down from December 23 to January 3. On days other than holidays a good deal of necessary work had- been done at the Harbour Board wharf and repairs carried out on the dredge. Tide gauges and beacons were cleaned and painted. The experiment with water from the septic tank in connection with erosion on the dredge plates had revealed nothing. The vegetation which was" formerly growing on the cliff top adjacent to Aitchison’s corner was forming excellent binding at the water’s edge.—The report was adopted. The local committee, the chairman and Messrs Hodge and Williams, recommended as the result of a meeting field on January 27 that the repairing of the dredge bucket be deferred pending receipt of further information concerning a proposal for renewal. The report further recommended that, with reference to proposed repairs to the wharf, the dredgemaster be instructed to draw immediate attention to any sign of shifting of the sheet piling.—The recommendations were adopted. GENERAL. Advice was received from Messrs Holm and Co. that as the freight on r oal from Westport to Wanganui had been increased by Is per toil the price of coal from the former port would be increased accordingly *as from January 13, the date of notification. Permission to erect a- boat shed of wood and iron adjacent to -Aitchison’s point was granted Mr J. Taiaroa.